


Ripple Effect

by LittleWanderer34



Category: Schitt's Creek, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:28:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25852870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleWanderer34/pseuds/LittleWanderer34
Summary: Schitt's Creek with Avengers tie-inThanos has wiped out 50% of all living things.  How will that impact the lives of those left behind in Schitt's Creek?
Relationships: Johnny Rose/Moira Rose, Patrick Brewer/David Rose, Theodore "Ted" Mullens/Alexis Rose
Comments: 7
Kudos: 35





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First posting here on AO3 (actually first fanfic ever, tbh). I was browsing through the Schitt's Creek archive and saw this prompt. Considering these are two of my favorite fandoms, I had to give it a shot.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

“Where should we do dinner tonight? Maybe the café? Or should we try the café? Oh I know, the café sounds like it could be a promising option! Thoughts?” No response. Not even a pity chuckle at his half-assed attempt at a joke. Rude.

“Okay, you could at least pretend to find my jokes funny.” Still silence. Where the fuck was he? David set down the shirt he was folding and made his way to the living room. He could hear something, was that a siren? Sounded almost like…

He rounded the corner expecting to see his husband, feet propped up on their coffee table, taking in the highlights from last night’s baseball game. But the room was empty. The television was broadcasting some emergency signal. David felt his chest tighten.

“Patrick? Patrick, you answer me this minute!” He turned on his heel and began searching the rest of the house. He didn’t notice the sunlight catching off faint dust particles, drifting in the still air of the living room.

\-----------------------------

Stevie knocked again, visibly frustrated. This guy should have checked out twenty minutes ago, and yet here she was, playing bouncer for her own motel.

“Mr. Fields, please open the door. If you don’t, I’ll be forced to come in.” No response. Stevie pulled out her master key and opened the door, steeling herself for whatever was on the other side of this door. Part of her thought it couldn’t be worse than finding that dead guy that one time. The other part prayed that it wasn’t.

“Hello, Mr. Fields?” Stevie looked around. The room was empty. A suitcase was half-packed on one of the twin beds, the other clearly rumpled from being used the night before. The key was sitting on the nightstand, next to what she assumed was Mr. Fields’ phone, still attached to its wall charger. This made Stevie uncomfortable. Who would leave their phone? She looked out the door. His blue Toyota was still parked in front of the room, just as it had been when she left last night. So weird.

Stevie closed the door and made her way back to the office. This was definitely a first, and she wasn’t sure what to do. She picked up her phone to call Mr. Rose, he would know what to do. What time was it in California?

Her phone buzzed as she was trying to do the mental math. David’s face filled her screen. He had insisted on selecting his own contact photo, however she had secretly changed it to one she took of him sleeping in a face mask from their “honeymoon” spa adventure years ago. Normally, she would answer right away, but she really needed to get this figured out. Oprah news would have to wait. She hit ignore and unlocked her phone.

She had 14 missed calls from David.

\-----------------------------

As per normal, Johnny Rose woke before the sun. He turned to look at the alarm clock next to his bed. 5 am. Time to start the day.

He made his way downstairs to put the coffee on. It was a strange feeling, being so at home in a house that, in comparison to their old lives, was so… small? Simple? Their time in Schitt’s Creek had changed him. It had changed his whole family. What used to be so important, the cars, the parties, the money… it just didn’t matter anymore. This house was just the right size for them, enough rooms to welcome all the children back whenever they cared to visit. It was truly a home.

“Ugh, I hope you made enough for two.” His daughter’s voice startled him back to reality. Alexis was in town taking some meetings with prospective clients. Her PR company was thriving and she was hoping to expand her clientele. He was so happy when she had called asking if she could stay with them, rather then renting some lavish hotel room near Hollywood.

“Still getting acclimated to the time difference, I see.” Johnny joked as he slid her the cup he had just poured himself. He turned to grab another mug out of the cabinet.

“Trying desperately not to acclimate is more like it. I don’t want this affecting my schedule when I get back to New York. I don’t know what is going on, I used to bounce around the world all the time and never feel any sort of jet lag. Now I can barely travel across the US. Getting old is the freaking worst!”

“Have I told you how happy it makes me, having you here?”

“Only every time you see me, dad. Jeez.” She smiled, despite her annoyed tone. He couldn’t help it. He missed his children.

“What’s on the docket for today? More pitches in Hollywood?”

“Yeah, called up a few old friends to see if they’re looking for a change.” Alexis went to the fridge and pulled out the creamer. “We’ll see what happens.”

“Well, I’m sure they’ll all go great. You are a Rose, after all. We Roses don’t know how to lose. Do you want to meet up for dinner? I’m sure your mother wou-“ Johnny stopped speaking, causing Alexis to look up from her coffee. She had a worried look on her face.

“Dad, are you-“

And then everything for Johnny Rose went black.


	2. Chapter 2

“Turn it off.” David’s harsh tone surprised Stevie. What the hell…

“I’m sorry? Can we try again, maybe a little more civility this time?” 

“Seriously Stevie… turn it off.” The second request was still sharp, but she can hear his voice break. She honestly hadn’t been paying attention to the television, it was more white noise at this point while she scrolled through her phone. She looked at the screen, trying to figure out what the issue was.

“-three years and still no sign of those who went missing, and no indication of their return. On today, the third anniversary of one of the greatest tragedies in human history, we remember those we lost at the hands of Thanos and his forces.” Realization washes over Stevie. She hadn’t realized what today was. She turned to face David. His eyes were puffy and red. Clearly he had started the day like he started most days: crying in bed. She quickly reached for the remote and turned off the tv.

“Sorry, I wasn’t really paying attention. I didn’t notice…”

“It’s fine. I just don’t want to hear about it anymore.” He turned around and walked to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

Stevie settled back into the couch. It had been three years already. Three years since half the world just… disappeared without a trace. Three years since she had shown up at David’s place, finding him on the floor, clinging to one of Patrick’s blue button up shirts and calling out his name.

She honestly didn’t think he was going to make it back then. The loss of Patrick broke him, the loss of his own parents was just another swift kick to the gut afterwards. Thank god Alexis had made it. 

Alexis.

Stevie pulled out her phone and pulled open her messages. She needed to give her a head’s up.

_Hey, fair warning, David’s not having a good day._

_Honestly Stevie, when does my brother ever have a good day?_

Stevie couldn’t help but smile at that. No matter what was going on the world, Alexis was still… Alexis.

_It’s worse today. He was triggered… by the news, I think._

_Just be ready for some not so great company at the store today_ _._

_Shit, I forgot what today was._

_Thanks for the head’s up._

Stevie remembered how relieved David was when Alexis called that morning. She had been in LA with her parents and was sufficiently terrified. Stevie had tried to calm both of the Rose siblings down, and had failed pretty hard at it. Eventually she convinced Alexis to join them so they could figure out what to do next. It took some time after everything happened to get things like airports up and running again, so Alexis had opted to drive from LA back to Schitt’s Creek. David collapsed into her arms the minute she stepped out of her car.

They decided to stay, opting for the familiar feel of their town as opposed to one of the refugee centers being set up. Unsurprisingly, most who were left in Schitt’s Creek had decided to stay. The town was pretty self-sufficient even before the blip, and honestly not much had changed after. The town hadn’t lost that many, which Stevie thought might have made it harder for David. If it did, he never spoke about it.

And then, they just… moved on. David and Stevie moved into two-bedroom apartment. Alexis stayed at the motel for the first few weeks, eventually finding her way to Ted’s old place. 

Alexis and David eventually re-opened the store. The town needed some form of general store, so they began carrying more of the necessities: food, water, toilet paper. Old Stevie would have teased him relentlessly on their new aesthetic. Now she was just happy he had something to distract himself with. 

The first year was the hardest. She remembers purging their apartment of all alcohol, drugs and sharp objects the second week they lived together. David was in a dark place and she didn’t think he’d find his way out of it. Despite the apartment being two bedrooms, they had shared a bed almost every night back then, David crying himself to sleep next to her. She wanted to reach out, comfort her best friend. But he didn’t want that. He would brush her off, choosing to suffer alone. Now he was just… numb. 

“I’m heading to the store. I’ll see you later.” He was standing by the door, zipping up his black hoodie over his t-shirt and black jeans. Some things, at least, hadn’t changed.

“Alright. I’ll have dinner ready when you get back.”

“Don’t worry, I’m eating with Alexis and Ted tonight. I’ll be back late.” With that, he leaves. Stevie knows that’s a lie, but she doesn’t call him on it.

\------------------------

Alexis is sorting our their newest shipment of body wash when he reaches the store. David walks silently past her, dropping his bag off in the back and grabbing a cup to make some tea. 

“I think we need to re-order some of our staple items. Ronnie called earlier saying she was coming by with a large order to give us a head’s up. I’ve already set it aside and the back shelves look pretty bare.”

“I’ll go back and review the inventory list. Not sure we’ll be able to get anything in before next week’s shipment.” With that, he disappeared into the back room. Alexis found the best way to help David was to keep his mind off everything. Pull focus to the store. 

The day drags out a bit. A few people pop their heads in to grab random items or chat. Twyla brings over lunch from the café for the two of them. That girl was such a great friend, and Alexis was grateful to be around her. She had come to visit when Alexis was in New York, but she found herself missing her best friend more every time she left. Now they were almost inseparable.

Right before closing, Ronnie pulls up in her truck. Alexis rings her up and helps her carry her order outside. It doesn’t go unnoticed by either that David hasn’t left the stockroom since Ronnie arrived.

“How is he doing?” Ronnie asks, cautiously. Alexis sighs.

“Today’s always hard on him.”

“I know. I can’t imagine…” Ronnie stood awkwardly for a minute. “I know we fought a lot, but I really did like Patrick. I hope he knew that.” Alexis was a little shocked by this rare show of emotion. Ronnie was the solid foundation that kept this town running. To see her in any state of vulnerability was unnerving, even to Alexis.

“I’m sure he knew.” Alexis wipes her eyes. She knew how lucky she was to still have David and Ted, but not a day goes by where she didn’t miss her parents or her brother-in-law. “We’re a little low on stock, so make sure you call ahead on your next order. We’re trying to re-order but you know how long shipments take.”

“Will do. Thanks for this. Tell him I said hi.” 

David is already closing the register when Alexis comes back inside. 

“Ronnie says hello.”

“Mmhmm.” David nods, still focused on his task. Alexis changes the sign to ‘CLOSED’ and begins tidying up the store. Her eyes dart to the door when the chime rings. 

“Hey guys, I just closed the clinic and thought I’d stop by and see how things were going.” He gives Alexis a quick kiss and glances at David, who still hasn’t acknowledged his presence.

“That is so sweet, babe. We’re almost done here, should we go to the café for dinner?”

“Sure, that sounds great! It is meatloaf night.” Ted turns to David. “You want to join us, David?” David finally looks up from the register, his mind clearly elsewhere. 

“I have plans with Stevie tonight” he says, somewhat sharply. Alexis gives him a glare and he follows up with a quick “thanks for the invite, though” before closing the register and shutting off the lights. As he leaves, Alexis sends a quick text to Stevie letting her know he’s left the store and to expect him late. Stevie sends a quick thumbs up. They both know where he’s really going.

\------------------------

David walks up the drive to his house… their house. The house that Patrick had picked for them. After the blip, it was too hard to stay. Every room, every scent, every inch was a reminder of the life that was taken from him. From them.

The door sticks a bit as he tries to open it. Obviously from disuse. He hasn’t been here for a year. The lights still work, at least. He slowly turns them on as he makes his way from the front door to the living room. Everything is just as it was that day. He couldn’t bring himself to live there after the event, not without… him.

The house is untouched. He could sell it… probably should sell it. But he can’t bring himself to. This and the store are all he has left of what used to be his life. He walks slowly through the living room, stopping at each photograph and trinket displayed. He stops at his favorite, a candid taken while celebrating their softball victory. David’s hands are in the air, crazy smile on his face and dirt all over his uniform. Patrick is also smiling, staring at David with those lovey eyes that he missed so terribly. He moves on, tears quietly running down his face.

Their kitchen and dining room aren’t much to look at, but they hold more memories for David than most of rest of the house. Competitive game nights with Stevie and whoever else from town they could con into coming over. Terrible cooking mishaps (mostly by David) that resulted in keeping the local pizza shop on speed dial. Special nights where the bedroom seemed too far away…

That’s always where he ends up. Their bedroom. He first makes his way to Patrick’s closet, carefully removing one of his shirts from the hanger. It’s been too long, Patrick’s smell no longer remains on these clothes or their bed. However, if David focuses hard enough, he can faintly remember what it was like. He slides into his bed with his shirt, trying to remember.

_“Good morning, sunshine.” David stirs as Patrick presses a kiss to his temple._

_“Ugh, I thought we agreed, talking before 10am on days off is extremely incorrect.”_

_“I know, but you looked so cute. I couldn’t resist.” Patrick leans in again, this time kissing David’s cheek._

_“Maybe I should have married someone a bit more respectful of his partner’s wishes” David mumbles, half-heartedly. He’s definitely awake by now, but he doesn’t want to give Patrick the satisfaction._

_“True. Maybe you’ll have better luck with husband number 2.”_

_“Or wife. Who knows, Stevie might still-.” David doesn’t get a chance to finish that sentence. He’s too focused on the things that Patrick’s tongue is doing to his mouth. Too soon, Patrick pulls away, still smiling down at him._

_“I love you, but please never mention Stevie in our bed again.”_

_“Deal.” David is rewarded with Patrick picking back up where he left off._

_“Alright, enough. I’m going to get up, put on some coffee and catch up on some sports. Think you can handle folding the laundry that you were supposed to do yesterday?”_

_“Mmmm, unsure. I might need some motivation.”_

_“Well, how does a special dinner sound? I’ll let you pick.” David swoons._

_“Ugh, rewarding me with food. How did I get so lucky?” Patrick laughs, kissing David one last time before getting out of bed. Before leaving, he turned to look at his husband, thoroughly flushed and gorgeous in bed._

_“I’m definitely the lucky one here.”_

David jolts awake. He’s curled up on his side of the bed, laying on top of the comforter. Patrick’s shirt is cradled in his arms and against his face, wet from the tears still flowing from his eyes. He must have fallen asleep. That dream… it wasn’t really a dream. More of a memory. That was the last time he saw his husband. Before everything went to shit, before Thanos and the Avengers, before he lost everything in a war he didn’t know about or want to be a part of.

He glanced down at his phone. There were three unread messages. He sat up and unlocked his screen. The first was from Stevie, letting him know she was heading to bed but there were leftovers in the fridge if he was hungry. He knew she and Alexis saw through his lies, but he couldn’t bring himself to really admit where he spent this evening each year.

The second was from Marcy Brewer. David’s heart sank. 

_Missing you and thinking of you today, sweetheart. Please let us know how you’re doing._

_We love you._

Shit. He should have reached out. This day was just as hard on them as it was on him. He remembers their frantic calls to Patrick’s cell phone that morning after seeing the news. He had answered, only able to mutter ‘he’s gone’ before crumbling again, leaving Stevie to pick up the phone and console his grieving in-laws. He opened this message to reply right away.

_Miss you too. Thanks for reaching out. I’ll have to come visit soon._

_Love you both._

Sent. The third message was from Ted, which was a little surprising.

_Just wanted to reach out and make sure you’re ok, bud._

_Let us know if you need anything._

This one made him tear up again. Ted and David hadn’t really been what he would call close, but after their heart to heart in his clinic he had always felt a certain bond with him. Ted was a good man and, most importantly, was taking good care of his baby sister. For that, he would always be grateful. He typed out a quick ‘Thank You’ and closed his phone. After carefully returning Patrick’s shirt, David turned off the lights and locked the front door.

Until next year.


	3. Chapter 3

He woke up with a start. He couldn’t figure out how he had fallen asleep, hadn't he just gotten up? Must have been more tired than he thought. He looked at the television. It was off. It wouldn't have been the first time David caught him snoozing and shut it down.

“Hey, I was watching that!” Patrick got up and stretched, feeling very stiff. “Have you finished that laundry yet?” He made his way back to their room and stopped in the doorway. Something wasn’t right. The bed was made and the laundry was gone, which normally would have been common place as David was very neat. However, something was just… wrong. Patrick looked closer at the bed. Was that… dust? He looked around the rest of the room. Everything seemed to be covered in a thick layer of dust. That couldn’t be right.

“David? Hey, David, where are you?” He made his way through the entire house. No sign of his husband, dust everywhere. It was almost like it had been abandoned, but that couldn’t be right. Patrick started to get nervous. What was going on? He made his way back to their room to change. He looked for his cell phone, but it was gone. Maybe David took it by accident when he went… wherever he went? He needed to figure out what was going on and, more importantly, where his husband was.

\------------------------

Stevie was on her way back from Elmdale when her phone started buzzing like crazy. What on earth was the damn issue. She maneuvered the phone out of her pocket to see that it was the sheriff. Shit.

“This is Stevie Budd.”

“Hey Stevie, we just got a call from the motel. Apparently, a man broke into one of the rooms and the occupant locked herself in the bathroom and called the police. Tried the office but got the message, so figured I’d call you directly. I’ve got a unit two minutes out.”

“Oh my god. Ok, I’m fifteen minutes out. I’ll meet you there.” Stevie hung up the phone and shoved down the gas pedal. What the fuck was going on?

\------------------------

“Hey babe, something’s happening on the news.” Alexis looked up from her book. Ted was calling to her from the bedroom in their suite. They had gone to Toronto to celebrate their first anniversary. It was a much needed break and Alexis was grateful.

“Ugh, is it those stupid rebels again in California? I swear, their coordination is as bad as their color scheme. Warm tones or cool tones, pick a lane!” Ted didn’t answer back. After a few minutes of silence, Alexis became curious. She marked her page and made her way to the room.

“Babe, you didn’t answer me. What is going…” She didn’t finish the sentence. Her husband was staring wide-eyed at the television. It almost looked like… was he crying? Her heart sank. What now? Hadn’t they suffered enough?

She turned her gaze to the television, bracing herself for something awful.

“People across the country have returned. We’re still not sure what happened, but we are getting multiple reports across the globe that people believed to have gone missing five years ago during the Thanos attack have returned. We’ll be monitoring this story as it develops, for now we’re going live to our helicopter in-“ Alexis was frozen. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t think, she couldn’t breathe.

Could it be true?

 _♬ Laaaa Laaaa La La La La Laaaa… A Little Bit Alexis_ _♬_

Both Ted and Alexis jumped out of their skin. That was Alexis’ ringtone. She walked over to see who was calling her. It was an unknown number, but the caller ID said it was coming from Los Angeles, California. She picked up the phone, hit the green ‘accept’ button and put the phone to her ear. 

“Hello?”

Then she promptly fell to the floor, unconscious. As Ted rushed to her side, he thought he could make out the faint voice of Johnny Rose through the speaker.

\------------------------

David was manning the store solo today. And tomorrow. And the next day. Alexis really owed him for this one. Sure, it was their anniversary, but five days of open to close shifts at the store was a bit much. At least it was keeping him busy. Stevie was spending most of her time on the motel or in the air these days, finally deciding to get off her ass and push forward with the plans she and his father had made years back. Between that and Ted and Alexis living that happy married life, he was finding it harder and harder to distract himself. Thank god for the store.

Alexis had suggested they hire someone to help out, but he had shot that down immediately. For one, no one else could be trusted with his baby. Hell, he barely trusted Alexis. Secondly, a new employee also meant more people to split hours with. That probably sounded great to his sister. She had been dropping some not so subtle hints and starting a family with Ted. David shook his head. How times had changed.

He was in the back grabbing some more paper towels to put out when he heard the door chime sound.

“One minute, I’ll be right with you!”

“Finally, I’ve found you. Why are you at the store? We’re not even open today.”

“Um, excuse you. This is my store, and I’m pretty sure I’m aware of my own schedule by now.” David was a bit annoyed. Who did this guy think he was. He set down the box he was carrying and pulled back the curtain, ready to put this asshole in his place. Instead, he locked eyes with Patrick, cocked his head to the side and promptly passed out.


	4. Chapter 4

“David? David, wake up. Hello?” Patrick couldn’t believe what was happening. David had taken one look at him and collapsed behind the cash. This was not doing anything to calm his nerves or answer his questions. He tried to wake his husband, shaking him gently with his head in Patrick’s lap. As he tried to rouse David, he couldn’t help but notice something looked… different about his face. He looked… older? Was that the right word? He had some wrinkles around his eyes, some white hairs here and there. Had he just never noticed? Surely he would have noticed, right?

He was distracted from his visual analysis by a buzzing coming from the counter. David’s phone. Patrick picked it up. Was this a new model? When had David gotten a new phone? He shook his head, not important. 

“Hey Stevie, David’s passed out right now. Are you near, could you come to the store?”

Silence.

“Hello? Stevie? Are you there?”

“Patrick?”

“Yeah, it’s me. David just fainted at the store, I need some help with him. He’s breathing, but I can’t wake him up. I don’t think we need an ambulance, but I could and extra set of hands.”

“Uhhh… yeah. I’m on my way. I have a good idea what is wrong. Be there in a minute.”

With that, she hung up. Why was everyone acting so weird? What was happening? He looked back down at his husband. David was clearly just sleeping now. He turned his head and wrapped an arm around Patrick’s torso. That calmed Patrick down a bit. The door chimed not two minutes later.

“Patrick?”

“Hey Stevie, back here.” Stevie’s head popped up over the counter. Had she cut her hair?

“Oh my god… Patrick.” He didn’t understand why she wasn’t particularly concerned with David’s unconscious body. She couldn’t take her eyes off him.

“Stevie, what is going on?” She didn’t respond. She just knelt down and pulled Patrick into a giant hug. 

“I can’t believe it. I can’t believe you’re back.” She was openly crying now. 

“Stevie, I really need to know what’s happening. What do you mean, back?” Stevie pulled away, her arms still wrapped around his shoulders. 

“You don’t remember? Neither did Mr. Fields. I guess that answers that question.” She was more talking to herself than to Patrick.

“Who’s Mr. Fields. I really need some information here, Stevie.” Patrick could feel his heart race. What was happening?

“Okay. Patrick, this is going to sound nuts. I know it’s going to sound nuts. But I need to you know that what I’m about to tell you is 100% true. You’ve been gone for five years.” Patrick shook his head. Had he misheard her?

“I’m sorry, what was that?” With that, Stevie launched into one of the most ridiculous and terrifying stories Patrick had ever heard. And he 100% believed her.

\---------------------------

David started to stir. His pillow was extremely uncomfortable, but that smell. He needed more of it. It was so familiar. Was it the new moisturizer he was using? No, that was cucumber. He could almost put his finger on what this was…

“Hey, you awake yet?”

“Stevie, how many times have I asked you to wake me up if I fall asleep on the couch? My neck is going to be ruined for days.”

“You are definitely not on a couch.”

David’s eyes shot open. All he could see was blue. Whatever he was laying on had a blue back. What kind of material was that? Suddenly, his couch moved. That wasn’t right. He turned his head to the left and found a set of beautiful brown eyes staring back at him. He knows those eyes. He fell in love with those eyes. 

David shot up like he had been electrocuted. Unfortunately, Patrick’s head had been in his path.

“Fuck!” 

“Watch it!”

“You watch it!”

“I’ve been gone five years and THIS is how you treat me?!?”

David looks back at Patrick, letting those words sink in. This person definitely looks like his husband. Smells like his husband. But Patrick was gone… wasn’t he?

“David, it’s him.” He turns to Stevie, who has obviously been crying.

“But it can’t be. He’s gone.” He knows she’s telling the truth. His brain knows that Stevie wouldn’t lie to him about this. But his heart… his heart is a different story. He had spent five years building the box that he kept his Patrick memories and feelings in, and now they were threatening to burst out.

“It’s happening everywhere. They’re all back. Still don’t know why, but they’re all back. Patrick, your parents, everyone who disappeared.”

David turns back to look at Patrick. He can’t help the tears that are now rushing out of his eyes. He puts a hand gently on Patrick’s cheek. Patrick smiled back at him.

“Is it really you?” Patrick took his own hand and placed it over David’s. 

“It’s me. I’m here.” David can’t contain it anymore. He tackles Patrick, pulling him into a hug, trying desperately to get as close to him as humanly possible and never let go.

“Yeah, my work here is done, I think. I’ll stand outside and make sure no one comes in.” Neither Patrick nor David acknowledge her departure. She doesn’t seem to mind, given the large smile still plastered across her face as she leaves.

\---------------------------

“Ugh, ok, Ted. I’m up, I’m up. Jesus.” Alexis slowly rises, wincing slightly due to the massive headache she was currently experiencing. “Can you grab me some Advil? My head is pounding like crazy.”

“She’s awake. Yeah, I’ll talk to her. Are you two ok for now?” Ted was on her phone. Who was he talking to? “Ok, we’ll call back as soon as I’ve had a chance to explain.” He looks at her, smiling. “Absolutely. Talk soon. Bye.”

“Who was that, babe?” Ted came over and extended his hand. Only then did she realize she was laying on the floor. “God, what happened? Did I faint? I haven’t had an episode like that since I ran five miles through Cairo, trying to catch up with Rami Malek’s entourage. He still didn’t stop… asshole.” Ted still hadn’t responded. She finally stopped talking long enough to really look at him. He was still smiling at her.

“Babe… do you remember what you were doing before you passed out?” Alexis closed her eyes, trying to remember.

“Ummmm, you had called me in here. Something was on the tv… then my phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number, so I answered it. It was…” Her eyes shot open. “Ted. Who was on the phone?”

“It was your dad, Alexis. He and your mom… they’re back. That’s what was on the television. Something happened. They’re still trying to piece it together. Something about a massive fight, the Avengers… they did it. They actually did it.” Alexis held out her hand.

“Can I have that?” Ted hit redial and handed the phone back to his wife. It only rang once.

_“Alexis? Is that you, honey?”_


	5. Chapter 5

The next few days were filled with chaos across the world. Honestly, David had never been more grateful to live in the middle of nowhere. While governments and big cities struggled to find yet another new normal, life in Schitt’s Creek stayed relatively calm. He and Stevie had taken Patrick straight to their apartment, David taking calls along the way from his sister and father. He cried when he’d gotten the second call. His father’s strong voice, his mother flitting around in the background trying to find her belongings in a house they no longer really lived in.

_“I’m not sure how we’re going to make it out there, but we’re coming. You hear me, David? We’ll be there as soon as possible.”_

_“John, I believe we’ve been robbed! Thieves have crept into our abode, pilfering our precious belongings! My bag! Where is my brown bag?!?”_

_David laughed despite the tears._

_“Tell mom that Alexis has it. She made sure to bring it when she made her way back home.”_

_“Alexis has the bag. And no one has stolen from us, Moira. I already explained to you what happened.” Johnny sighed heavily. “I’m guessing the fastest way for us to get there is to drive. Your mother isn’t going to like that.”_

_“Dad, we’re already taking care of it. Can you get to Ontario Airport tomorrow? 9am. Stevie will meet you there.”_

_“Stevie?”_

_“Yes, Stevie. She’s a pilot. Long story. You’ll be back here by dinner.”_

_“Thank you, son. We’ll see you soon. Love you.”_

Mr. and Mrs. Rose had arrived unscathed. David had laughed at the look on Stevie’s face when they pulled up to the motel. She had left somewhat excited, at least by Stevie standards. That excitement was noticeably missing from her face as she helped unload his parents’ luggage.

That evening was spent laughing, crying and talking about the events of the past five years. David, Stevie and Alexis tried to keep it light, sticking to lighthearted events, such as Alexis and Ted’s wedding or that one time David saw Steve Rodgers in New York City.

_“That wasn’t him, David.”_

_“Slurp sewage, Alexis.”_

_“Kids, enough.”_

After their parents had turned in for the night, Stevie popped open another bottle of wine. David and Patrick migrated to David’s old bed, Alexis and Ted doing the same on her side. Stevie stretched out in the space between the two, leaning against the nightstand. Conversation turned more serious. They all took turns catching Patrick up on the finer details of what had happened since he had disappeared. 

“Everywhere shut down. You couldn’t go anywhere. No one had any clue what happened. That was the scariest part, not knowing what was happening. Seven billion people on the planet and then *poof* three point five billion of them just gone without a trace.” Stevie had started. Patrick could feel David shiver in his arms, his husband clearly remembering the trauma of that time. He squeezed him harder, trying to reassure him that he was still there.

“We didn’t get the full story until almost three weeks later. By that time, Alexis had made it back here. It had taken a lot to get things like television and cell phone service back online. Thankfully we live in the world that we do, everything was pretty much automated.”

“Ugh, not everything, Stevie. I had to use that stupid paper map to find my way back here. It took me forever.” David laughed at that part.

“It’s called a road atlas, Alexis. Didn’t you end up in Missouri at first.”

“Ugh, shut up, David! I got the east part right, I just forgot the north part.” This made everyone laugh. Once it got quiet again, Patrick spoke up.

“How did you find your way back here, Ted? Can’t imagine trying to get out of the Galapagos.”

“Actually, I was stuck trying to get back there.” Alexis looked up at him fondly.

“My little Galapa-hero.” Patrick looked at Ted questioningly.

“I was actually in Mexico City. It was my turn for a week pass to the mainland and I had just arrived. The disappearance hit South America much harder than it hit North America. Their infrastructure was not as advanced as ours in North America. When I figured out what happened, I had to get back to our island. I didn’t know who on my team was affected, if they were stranded. We had spotty internet and cell signal before, the event completely wiped what little we had out. It took eight days before I could find a charter flight back. Only three of my team were left, and they were alone. The rest of the island was deserted. We made it back to Mexico City and then back to our homes. ”

“Remember when he knocked on your door, Alexis?” Alexis shuddered a bit.

“Scared the shit out of me.” Ted laughed.

“To be fair, that was my place first.”

“Details, details.”

David tried to stifle a yawn. Patrick looked at the clock. It was almost midnight.

“I think we should call it a night. David, do you want to go back to Stevie’s?”

“Can we just stay here?” David was already leaning back, sleep was close. 

“Sure. Stevie, you okay to get home?”

“Nah, I’ll hop into another room for the night. We’re empty tonight anyway. Goodnight guys.”

“See you in the morning. Breakfast at the café, don’t forget.”

\-----------------------

Patrick and David were curled up on the couch, worn out from another day at the store. The news was just about over, signaling that it was almost time for bed. If you had told David before his marriage that this was how they would spend most nights, he would have shuddered. So domesticated. So boring. Now, after everything that had happened, he wouldn’t trade these evenings for the world.

“And for our last segment of the night, we would like to take some time to remember the anniversary of what historians are calling the Blip.” David tensed next to Patrick. He’d forgotten what today was.

“Want me to turn it off?” Patrick didn’t miss a beat. He was so in tune to David, able to know what he was feeling before he recognized it himself.

“No, it’s fine. I had just forgotten, it seems like so long ago. I want to watch it.” They fell back into silence as their local news began their segment. It was wonderfully put together. They had pulled interviews with heroes and world leaders, each speaking on the progress being made in rebuilding efforts and projects across the globe. It ended with a tribute to the fallen Avengers; Natasha Romanov, Steve Rodgers and Tony Stark. David started to cry as they interviewed Pepper Potts. Patrick tightened his arm around him, handing him a tissue.

“You ok?”

“Yes.” David could feel Patrick’s eyes still on him. He gave an exasperated sigh, letting the tears he was desperately trying to hold in fall down his face. “Ok, fine, no I’m not.”

“Talk to me.”

“I am so glad to have you back. So grateful. But knowing that she had to lose her husband so I could get mine back… it hurts my heart, Patrick. Why do I deserve to be happy and she doesn’t?” Patrick pressed a kiss to his husband’s forehead.

“I love your heart, David. And I know how you feel. I don’t think we’ll ever really understand what happened. All we can do is be grateful for the second chance we have and not waste one minute. Otherwise what was the point?”

“You’re right.” The segment had ended and the anchors did their sign-off. “Let’s go to bed. I’m exhausted.”

“Need me to carry you?”

“Alright, no need to be rude. I’m perfectly able to make my way to our room on my own, thank you. Just because you were basically frozen for five years doesn’t mean you’re any better than me. Besides, remind me who carried who up that mountain?” Patrick laughed.

“You did, dear.”

“Damn right I did. Now, let’s go. I have plans for you, oh husband of mine.” With that, David stands up and makes his way down the hall. He misses his husband closing his eyes, silently thanking Tony Stark, wherever he may be, for this second chance.


End file.
